The government shutdown now in day 28. Dems flood into the 2020 presidential race. So far it’s Elizabeth Warren, Richard Ojeda, Julian Castro, Tulsi Gabbard, Kirsten Gillibrand, and a couple of guys named John Delany and Andrew Yang.

Nancy and Donny play hard nose politics with the State of the Union and a planned Congressional visit to Afghanistan to visit troops and to Brussels to reaffirm American commitments to NATO.

Republican representative Steve KKK_King of Iowa, stripped of his committee assignments after he complains to the New York Times that you can’t even say you're a white supremacist anymore. Conservatives freak out as AOC gets on the House Financial Services Committee. Aaand AOC gives social media and twitter lessons to her Democratic Colleagues during her first week in office.

Will be this the straw that broke the camel's back? Will Trump finally be impeached after Buzzfeed’s latest story reporting that Trump instructed Cohen to lie to Congress about Trump Moscow? That’s after the Wall Street Journal broke the story yesterday that during the early days of the 2016 campaign, Cohen hired an IT firm to manipulate polls to show that Trump was a real contender. And, yes, Cohen claims that he did so at the request of Trump.

The Pennsylvania Capital Star will be a new progressive, investigative online news source in Harrisburg. Let’s hope the little social media fails they had with their launch doesn’t trip them up too much.

It was inauguration day in Harrisburg. Let’s see what the Wolf/Fetterman team can get done as they were fawning over “bi-partisanship.” We’ll have some completely unsolicited advice for them.

Brendan Boyle and Dwight Evans get seated to the House Ways and Means committee. Right before that, Brendan Boyle came out in support of Medicare for All.

Steve Carell will star in a new Netflix series called...wait for it...Space Force. Star Trek Discovery Season 2 launched last night...and it was freaking awesome.

A team of NASA scientists is proposing to land a drone called “Dragonfly” on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, following research from the Cassini probe found that Titan has an atmosphere that rains organic compounds on the surface of the moon.

Free Will is going all blueberries with this week’s can release. Blueberry Mash is a Kettle Sour Ale with Blueberry, Vanilla, and Milk Sugar – 7.5% ABV.

Nancy Pelosi sworn in as the Democratic Speaker of the House. The first-ever woman speaker takes up the gavel again.

Another smear campaign against Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez falls flat on its face. AOC wears white to her swearing-in ceremony to pay tribute to the suffragists.

Are Old Deal Democrats trying to squash progressive initiatives with Pay-Go? Can we at least get through the first week before Dems decide to use Republican rhetoric to define their policies? Try buying a house with Pay-Go rules. Ro Khanna, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Tim Ryan come out early against Pay-Go.

Indivisible groups, Medicare for All supporters, climate activists and other progressives are not wasting any time letting Democrats know they will not be going away any time soon.

And, Terry McAuliffe gets launched into the talking heads circuit to tamp down progressive, universal policies like Medicare for All and tuition free college.

House Republicans released their committee assignments on Wednesday and Daryl Metcalfe is pissed that he didn’t get on the House Judiciary Committee. Instead, he’s going to sitting on the Energy and Environmental Resources Committee.

PA Senate Republicans sat Lindsey Williams after voters went to their local Senate offices and demand that they seat her.

Governor Tom Wolf has booked The Roots for the inaugural ball. And, it’s the Farm Show in Harrisbu

Farm Show. John Micek is on the beat. Here piggie, piggie, piggee.

China lands on the dark side of the moon. China's robotic Chang'e 4lander became the first to touch down on the dark side of the moon on Wednesday night. The Chinese lander now sits on the floor of the 115-mile-wide Von Kármán Crater. NASA’s New Horizon’s spacecraft visited Ultima Thule, a Kuiper Belt object 4 billion miles from the sun. It’s the most distant object get a pass by from a man-made spacecraft.

It’s Shut Down Mania! Trump threatens to shut down the government for a “very long time” if the Senate does not pass a bill with $5 billion for his Great Wall of ‘Merica. Despite what he said during his meeting with Chuck and Nancy, He’s blaming the Democrats.

Mad Dog Mattis resigns as Trump’s Defense Secretary. Mattis’s resignation letter is widely seen as a protest against Trump’s announcement that he wants U.S. troops out of Syria and Afghanistan. Mattis also objected with Trump alienating allies and embracing autocratic regimes like China and Russia. German officials call it “a moment of alarm in Europe.”

Democrats say ixnay to the Green New Deal committee championed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other newly elected progressives. Instead, Democrats tapped Florida Democrat, Rep. Kathy Castor to head a revived House panel on climate change. Castor didn’t waste any time embracing Exxon Mobil’s talking points, arguing it might be “unconstitutional” to ban members from the committee who are flush with Big Oil and Gas money. Despite being hugely popular, Democrats still can’t get it through their head that a Green New Deal is the way forward. Here’s a little tidbit about Castor: According to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, Castor accepted more than $73,000 from the energy and natural resources sector during her Congressional career. That includes $60,000 from corporate political action committees.

Climate agreement in Poland helps to bolster the Paris Agreement. The agreement established a rule book for how countries should measure their greenhouse gas emissions, report on emissions cuts and hold each other accountable. However, the US, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait blocked language “welcoming” a recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that concluded the world must limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius or face catastrophic impacts.

Hackers broke into NASA servers and downloaded Social Security numbers and other personal info. NASA officials say they still don’t know the total number of employees that were affected.

Stephen Caruso from Pennsylvania Legislative Services wrote an excellent report on how Southeast Democrats were unified under the leadership of Madeleine Dean and were able to pick up 5 of 7 House leadership positions.

It’s been over a month and I can barely remember the guy who ran against Gov. Wolf in November.

In today’s Last Call, Gritty and Sean’s tattoo plans.

The Pentagon is finalizing a proposal for the Space Force as a sixth military branch. According to a draft of the proposal, the Space Force would be organized under the Department of the Air Force, kind of like the Marines are organized as an independent service under the Navy.

It’s a White Christmas on Mars. The European Space Agency’s Mars Express probe beamed back images of a 50 mile wide Martian crater filled with ice. The Korolev crater is on the northern pole plane which surrounds Mars’s polar ice cap. The crater contains 530 cubic miles of water ice and is a mile thick in places.

Rick Santorum announces that he is out of the running for White House Chief of Staff.

Green New Deal continues to gather momentum. Writing in New York Magazine, Eric Levitz asks: “Is a Green New Deal Possible without a Revolution?” Good question. Climate activists stage a laugh-in, then protest against Trump officials’ attempt to sell “clean coal” at COP 24 Climate Summit in Poland.

Trump organization rolled back Obama-era water protections, reopening small streams and wetlands to corporate contamination. The rollback is seen as a gift to the Oil and Gas industry. Some large-scale farmers and homebuilders were also pleased.. About 40% of the stream in Pennsylvania will now be vulnerable.

Will last-minute push to bring back net neutrality be nixed by Democrats flush with Telecom cash. Check out DemsAgainstThe.Net to see which Democrats have still not signed on. Mary Gay Scanlon, was one of four Democrats unwilling to move to a vote...looks like the pressure worked. Scanlon has since changed her mind and is supporting attempts to change the rule back.

Media outlets across the state finally start giving it to Senate Republicans for their blatant attack on our democracy by threatening not to seat Lindsey Williams. The Post Gazette told Senate Republicans to “Let it go. Let it go.” because their fight “represents a serious erosion, not only of good faith but the stability of our democracy”

Progressives led by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other newly elected representatives are on the offensive for a Green New Deal. Writing in The Atlantic, Robinson Meyer calls the Green New Deal “one of the most interesting—and strategic—left-wing policy interventions from the Democratic Party in years.” This past Monday, AOC joined by Bernie Sanders, Bill McKibben, Van Jones, and others for a Facebook Town Hall, “Solving the Climate Crisis,” to turn up the heat for climate action. And, yes America, we can pay for it, but it will change everything. H/T Naomi Klein and the LEAP.

Robert Mueller and Leakin’ Lyin James Comey will be front and center today at the Mueller is expected to show his cards with what he’s got from Manafort and Cohen. Gonna get craaaaazyyyy!

Former President George H.W. Bush passed away. Trump receives accolades for not being an asshat during the funeral.

Milo Yiannopoulos now more than $2 million in debt. Apparently the troll stepped into the sunlight.

The Republican Party ups the ante when it comes to breaking all political norms to maintain power. State GOP lawmakers are using the lame-duck session to strip newly elected Democrats from being able to exercise power.

Lindsey Williams’ story is starting to get some national traction with coverage from The Intercept. Philadelphia becomes the second biggest city in the country to pass Fair Workweek Legislation. The ordinance forces fast food, retail and hotel employers to set predictable work schedules for their employees.

Pentagon “scrambling” to reorganize and make way for the Space Force. On Dec. 7, 1972, NASA launched the last crew to land on the moon with the Apollo 17 mission.

Shout out to our friends over at Inside 254. They’ve brought their podcast to close after 46 episodes. Check out their final episode and visit their archives at https://inside254.podbean.com/. We’ll miss you!

Wawa sells beer for the first time ever! Customers were waiting in line at a Wawa in Chadds Ford as they released a Wawa coffee stout brewed by 2SP. Coffee at Just Coffee now 30% off with no code required. JustCoffee.coop.

Free Will - Double Can Release this weekend: Tukutuku Porter and Eavesdrop, a Sour IPA w/Vic Secret & El Dorado 16oz. Cans. 4-packs available at both locations at 12 noon on Saturday, 12/8.

The Congressional Progressive Caucus is at its largest ever and now they are demanding important committee positions in order to support Nancy Pelosi for House Speaker. David Dayen lays out the argument for supporting Pelosi. On the other hand, Chuck Schumer said that Democrats are willing to give $1.6 billion to Trump for the border wall in order to avert a government shutdown. Here’s a noble idea, how about ZERO dollars for Trump’s racist border wall?

Sinclair Media forces nearly 200 of its affiliates to run a segment defending the use of tear gas on migrant children and families. Meanwhile, the Trump administration waived safety checks for all staff working at the nation’s largest detention camp for migrant children. That camp keeps growing by the way. 2,324 migrant kids and counting.

Facebook scandals continue to grow as new revelations that Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg ordered staff to do oppo research on George Soros after he criticized FB and Google and other tech giants at the World Economic Forum earlier this year. Facebook then pushed out critical stories to reporters about Soros’s funding of American advocacy groups critical of FB.

Rider University in New Jersey says no way to Chick-fil-A. Given the restaurant chain’s anti-LGBTQ record, Rider officials say Chick-fil-A is not faithful to the university’s values of inclusiveness.

Daryl Metcalfe is looking for some new committee positions. What will it be? Will it be House Judiciary committee chair or House Education committee chair?

The ever-so-swanky PA Society is this weekend and it was launched with a reception hosted by Christine Toretti, who is a Trustee to the Scaife Foundation and Trump’s Ambassador to Malta. This high-end event was hosted at Club Macanudo.

Senate Republicans are threatening to not seat Lindsey Williams because of a potential resident.

In today’s Last Call, it was a big week in Space News. The InSight Lander successfully touched down on Mars and prepares for several years of scientific study of the interior of the Red Planet. NASA selected nine companies to be eligible for future contracts to deliver payloads to the surface of the moon. The news had Mike Pence all tingly in the panties and galactic capitalists licking their chops at the prospects of colonizIng the new frontier. Time is running out for the Space Force. Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan will meet with Mike Pence to try and ready legislation to drop a legislative proposal in December. And, it’s 2001 a Space Odyssey all over again as the International Space Station “wakes up” its first onboard AI called CIMON. Let’s hope this has a better ending.

Huge news in my neck of the woods: The Bread Box & Bakery have moved to a new prime location at the corner of Market and 7th Street in Perkasie. Their new location now has an awesome menu, kombucha on tap, great bread, and all sorts of sustainable goods in one place. Go check them out at 1 North 7th Street and tell them you heard about it on Raging Chicken’s Out d’Coup podcast.

Free Will Brewing and The Bread Box & Bakery are teaming up on Wednesday, December 5th for “Let’s Get Lit!” at the main brewery in Perkasie for Free Will’s annual Brewery Tree Lighting & Merriment! A complimentary special toast (beer for those 21+, soda for those under 21) and Christmas cookies from our Friends at The Bread Box and Bakery will be provided to those in attendance. Festivities and the countdown to illumination get underway at 7 pm.

House Republican caucus 90% white men. Democratic caucus looks more like America. Democrats pick up more seats with Sinema winning flipping Jeff Flake’s seat and Katie Porter flipping an Orange County Republican stronghold. Porter was a student of Elizabeth Warren and ran an unabashed progressive campaign supporting Medicare-for-all, expanding Social Security and going after the banks. Democrats in for a rude awakening as the new freshman/women class heads to Congress. It’s a new day.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez faces misogynist tweets after “Hill Staffer” sends a photo of her wearing a dress to a Washington Examiner reporter.

Fires continue to burn in CA. George Monbiot makes the case that plutocracy is at the root of our unwillingness to address climate change. A new plan calls for 10 percent solar power in Pennsylvania by 2030.

Ahead of next week’s midterm elections, Trump stokes anti-immigrant flames, threatening an executive order to end birthright citizenship. 538 still showing that Democrats will take back the house. However, if we’ve learned anything from the 2016 presidential election, the polls can be horrifically wrong...so, vote, vote vote. High school and college students at more than 500 schools are planning on walking out to vote on Election Day. And let’s not forget the war against the caravan and the GOP's closing racist ads.

The Congressional Budget Office just released a new analysis of the Senate tax bill. Wouldn’t you know it? The bill is even worse for lower-income people than previously thought. All cred to Mitch McConnell and his Republican buds in the Senate. Workers at 60% of Google offices around the world walk off the job yesterday and issued a manifesto of sorts calling for massive changes at the company in terms of sexual discrimination and transparency.

Scott Wagner is DOWN 26 points in the latest Franklin and Marshall Poll. And, the day after the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, Scott Wagner spreads conspiracy theories about the secret people is funding the traveling caravan. We’ll give you a couple of guesses about who’s at the top of that list.

The Susquehanna Policy Center, a conservative polling firm and think tank, has George Scott and Jess King within 3-4 points of Scott Perry and Lloyd Smucker. They also have Ron DiNicola leading Mike Kelly by 6 points. Joe Biden will be stumping all over Pennsylvania on Sunday. He’ll be campaigning with Matt Cartwright and George Scott.

Looks like “methane migration” from natural gas operations in Green County PA may have been responsible for the house that blew up and nearly killed 3 people.

Will labor activists hold their union leaders accountable if Scott Wallace loses his race for the PA-1 and Republicans maintain control of the House? Comfortable union leaders are going to have to get with the program or be complicit with the demise of what’s left of the labor movement. The latest polls are concerning.

In today’s Last Call, Sean’s going to see Papa Joe Biden. And Free Will releases Kiwi Kick Punch tomorrow, 11/3/2018. It’s a Triple IPA with Kiwi, Vanilla, and Milk Sugar at 12.6% ABV. 4-pack cans will be available at both locations

Billionaires become 20% richer in 2017. That’s right, according to report by Swiss bank UBS, billionaires made more money in 2017 than in any year in recorded history. The richest of the rich on our Big Blue Marble increased their wealth to a whopping $8.6 trillion. That’s a more concentrated wealth than the Gilded Age.

It’s time to talk about it. Mike Turzai may actually lose his race against Emily Skopov. Scott Perry is fighting back against his “I don’t want to pay for about maternity care” comments, and is asking his opponents to “release the tapes.” The Pennsylvania Senate GOP Policy Committee invited Koch Brother affiliated organizations to talk about legislation to pursue in the post-Janus world.

PSEA and the AFL-CIO have endorsed Republican Brian Fitzpatrick over Scott Wallace in the PA-1. So, instead of organizing for power, we’re going to look for the “nice Republicans?” Am I getting that right?

Free Will Brewing has a double can release tomorrow. They’ll have 4-packs of Grapesicle, a Pastel IPA w/Merlot & Muscat Grapes, oats, milk sugar, and vanilla. This one is brewed in collaboration with Stone & Key Cellars. And the much anticipated Pineapple Rant, a Contemporary Gose w/Pineapple & Coconut,l will also finally be available.